by Paul Heney
Last updated: 12:00 PM ET, Sat July 14, 2018
In less than a month, the 10th Gay Games will descend on Paris, with an expected 10,000 participants from more than 80 countries. A recent stay at one of the main host hotels, the Hotel Novotel Paris les Halles, showed that this property is well positioned to host LGBTQ guests, whether for the Gay Games or beyond.
The Novotel features an excellent location right in the central city, with easy access to both the RER and the Métro right outside the front door. We were able to easily walk to numerous sights, including the Centre Georges Pompidou (modern art museum), the Louvre, Notre-Dame Cathedral, and the historic gay neighborhood of Le Marais.
Next door to the hotel is the Forum des Halles, an architecturally striking shopping mall, which is just wrapping up a major reconstruction. Streets all around the hotel are filled with cafes and restaurants to suit any palate. We particularly enjoyed La Strada Café for breakfast, Pizza e Mozza for lunch and Bouquet des Archives in nearby Le Marais for dinner.
The hotel itself has been renovated and some of the exterior work in the courtyard was being finished up during our stay. The private courtyard is delightful and very unique for the city-a large geodesic dome occupies part of it. Tables are scattered both within and outside of the dome, so guests can stay comfortable in case of rain sprinkles, or temperatures that get too hot during the day or too cool at night. A large mural is planned for one of the walls facing the courtyard. Make sure to stop in for teatime, which is from 3 to 6 daily.
Guests will enjoy the very trendy bar area and the three-meal restaurant was a delight, especially for the extensive breakfast buffet. There's free WiFi and a 24-hour fitness facility accessible right from the lobby. There are 285 rooms here and parking is available nearby.
Our room featured a fun and funky mural of the Seine River, which flowed along one wall and up onto part of the ceiling. The design was cool and modern, with medium-dark woods throughout and fun splashes of bright red. We had a refrigerated minibar, a coffee maker, flat screen television, safe and plenty of storage room. The bathroom was sleek and spacious, and we loved the tiled shower that had numerous spray options.
Overall, the property exceeded our expectations, not just because of the physical spaces, but of the very kind staff, who seemed to bend over backward to fulfill every request. The Hotel Novotel Paris les Halles will make a wonderful home away from home for many of next month's fierce competitors.
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